Winnipeg cemetery named National Historic Site

The final resting place for thousands of people in Winnipeg is being recognized nationally.

The City of Winnipeg announced Thursday that Brookside Cemetery has officially been named a National Historic Site. The cemetery has been around since 1878 and more than 100,000 people have been buried there.

“It is fitting to announce the designation of Brookside Cemetery as a National Historic Site in advance of Remembrance Day,” said Kevin Lamoureux, member of parliament for Winnipeg North, in a statement. “For many in this city, Brookside is the final resting place of our loved ones, and it is a location that people frequent to commemorate those who lost their lives in service during times of war.”

The Field of Honour at Brookside is one of the largest veteran burial sites in Canada, and serves as the final resting place for more than 10,000 military service members.

“It has long been a respected and honoured place where we remember the sacrifices of those who have served,” Mayor Scott Gillingham said in a statement. “I would like to thank the City’s Public Service for their efforts in pursuing this designation, and encourage all Canadians to learn more about the importance of Brookside Cemetery and its Field of Honour.”

The Field of Honour contains multiple elements, including a collection of upright military monuments to commemorate veterans of the First and Second World Wars. The cemetery’s Tear Drop section is also the only section in a Canadian cemetery where so many war dead can be found interred together in one section.

Prominent people buried at Brookside include Francis E. Cornish, the first mayor of Winnipeg; Sgt. Tommy Prince, one of Canada’s most decorated Indigenous veterans; R.B. Russell, a leader of the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike Committee; and Lt. Harry Colebourn, who purchased the bear that inspired the Winnie the Pooh stories.

The cemetery is the 24th National Historic Site in Winnipeg, according to a news release.